A comma makes a world of difference. It can mean the difference between life or death. Let's eat Grandpa. Let's eat, Grandpa.
I find it easy to depend on my computer to pick up on all the mistakes I make when writing -- that's what spell check is for, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't pick up on simple punctuation errors that can label you as an unprepared, bad writer. And presumptuous.
Not checking your work indicates you think your work was born perfect. Most likely it isn't. Most of us don't get out what we want the first time around, or we don't articulate as well as we thought. The sentence we thought was genius is not logical. The second paragraph is boring. The cliché cup runneth over. Clear and logical writing is the result of work through rewriting and editing. "Rewriting is the essence of writing well," wrote Zinsser, "it's where the game is won or lost."
Reshape and tighten. It's the difference between getting your point across and a group of krumping baby seals.
"Most likely it isn't." <-- I find this sentence a bit confusing. If I might think my work *was* born perfect, then wouldn't the appropriate response be: "It wasn't"?
ReplyDelete"The cliché cup runneth over." <--- I appreciate the humor.
"Rewriting is the essence of writing well," wrote Zinsser, "it's where the game is won or lost." <-- Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't quotes start a new line?
Great post.
---Zero's Narrator
Reread your work.
ReplyDeleteRewriting is about advancing your thought process and thinking on and with the canvas. Rereading is another type of editing. Clever memes about the placement of commas are really commenting on how sentences read. Punctuation is about the rhythm of your phrasing. You want to give your audience easy sentences that role off the tongue so they can concentrate on your ideas. The easiest way to do this is to give them your sentences as if you spoke them. Grammar and spellcheck can police according to rules, but only rereading to edit will infuse your writing with your delivery. And your delivery will naturally reinforce your ideas.